The Center for Fiction is the only nonprofit literary organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to celebrating fiction, and we work every day to connect readers and writers. We're known for our special literary events, including our innovative panels, lectures and conversations.

We also feature grants and workshops to support emerging writers, reading groups on classic and contemporary authors, and programs to help get kids reading. We recognize the best in the world of fiction through our annual awards.

We are an important piece of New York City history, continuing to build our renowned circulating library collection, begun in 1820 by New York City merchants before the advent of the public library system. The Center is currently in the planning phase for our move to downtown Brooklyn scheduled for the beginning of 2019.

OUR SUPPORTERS

Sharen Benenson • Chris R. Hughes • The Jerome Foundation • National Endowment for the Arts • Pine Tree Foundation of New York • Amazon • Audible, Inc. • The Estate of Christopher E. Doheny • Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs • New York State Council on the Arts

The Center for Fiction, founded in 1820 as the Mercantile Library, is the only organization in the United States devoted solely to the vital art of fiction. The mission of The Center for Fiction is to encourage people to read and value fiction and to support and celebrate its creation and enjoyment. With all our resources, including our exceptional book collection, our expanding website, and our ever-growing array of creative programs, we seek to serve the reading public, to build a larger audience for fiction, and to create a place where readers and writers can share their passion for literature.

HISTORY

When the Mercantile Library of New York opened its doors at 49 Fulton Street in February 1821, James Monroe had just begun his second term as president of the United States. New York City had either 123,000 or 152,000 inhabitants, depending on which census you believe, and the population of the entire United States numbered only 9.6 million. It was a year that marked the death of Napoleon, the coronation of George IV, and the entry of Missouri into the union as a slave state. American writer James Fenimore Cooper published The Spy while in England readers poured over Thomas de Quincey’s new book, Confessions of an Opium Eater. Keats died and Baudelaire was born.read our full history

CONTACT

The Center for Fiction15 Lafayette Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11217(212) 755-6710info@centerforfiction.org

We will not be open to the public until our grand opening this February so stay tuned for more information.